Google/Fitbit will monetise health data and harm consumers • Hacker News Board

Re: Google/Fitbit will monetise health data and harm consumers

#151

Post by alienfilesystem » Thu, Oct 01, 2020, 1:55 PM UTC

RonanTheGrey wrote: post #136

alienfilesystem wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, mine is turned off. Look at some European countries now. England has QR codes at the entrances to all public spaces. Download and install the app or provide your details that they hold for 21 days. No, thank you. Will. Not. Comply.

To preface, I agree with your stance. But it leaves me wanting more. I mean -- we know, to be blunt, we know that the vast, vast majority of people will never stand up and agree with you, even if some unidentified part of them wants to. The world is marching in lockstep toward authoritarianism again, and cheering it along the whole way. Where does all this go? What can we do? Disappear into a countryside somewhere an…

I think one of the best voices in this regard is a man named Dave Cullen out of Ireland. His YouTube channel, Computing Forever, has always been spot on in regard to the plandemic and other authoritarian happenings. He has some fascinating guests as well. I've yet to find him wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/user/LACK78

I don't know what the answer is as far as getting people to wake up. Most people are utter sheeple when it comes to adhering to the diktats of government. They implicitly trust government and they shouldn't. Very few governments are really in lockstep with their people. Iceland is one, the Swiss do fairly well in this regard, as does Finland and Denmark. Again, very few.

Re: Google/Fitbit will monetise health data and harm consumers

#152

Post by jdmichal » Thu, Oct 01, 2020, 2:03 PM UTC

disgruntledphd2 wrote: post #150

jdmichal wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling the home insurance market less mental to someone in Tampa Bay is laughable. The only reason I'll even be considered by insurance companies other than the public-run Citizens is because I'm not in a flood zone [0]. Most every other company won't cover Florida, because why include high-risk areas if you have a choice? Just exclude them and be done with it, right? And that's the whole point behind my prior comme…

Yeah, I worked in the industry for a while based in Europe, so that's the context of my comment. I deliberately avoided health insurance, both because I don't know a huge amount about it, and because it's so mental in the US. I do agree with you in terms of the societal benefit piece, but was just trying to give some insight with respect to how the industry works now (without taking a position on how it should work).…

> Yeah, I worked in the industry for a while based in Europe, so that's the context of my comment.

Just want to let you know that I appreciate the info. Cheers!

Re: Google/Fitbit will monetise health data and harm consumers

#153

Post by ilikepi » Thu, Oct 01, 2020, 3:20 PM UTC

propogandist wrote: post #145

ilikepi wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Granted, there are no open source TVs, Roku's, etc, but they are not tracking me. Generally our views are broadly aligned, though the above sentence gave me pause. Are you suggesting specifically that Roku doesn't monitor ("track") what you watch? If so, you should really spend a little time with Roku's privacy policy[1] wherein they say quite explicitly that they do. I chose Roku pretty early on for our household,…

Just get pihole and put it on your network. Roku and Amazon Fire Stick are constantly calling home. Even every interaction with the remote is logged and sent back. You can see it happening and block it. Roku also shuts down and stops you from using many apps if it can't call home for a long time.

Er...so the solution is to block the traffic, but then eventually that makes the device stop working unless you allow the traffic again?

Re: Google/Fitbit will monetise health data and harm consumers

#154

Post by Dirlewanger » Thu, Oct 01, 2020, 4:30 PM UTC

shadowgovt wrote: post #89

Dirlewanger wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>They're not claiming Google will hand out a user's biometrics to insurance companies or other parties. Make no mistake though: those days are coming. It's just a matter of how soon. And no government will give a shit to stop it.

That's an odd prediction, given how unpopular the idea is.

Unpopular to whom, the HN crowd? The crowd that no one pays attention to? I'll tell you who it's not unpopular to: HMO execs that would love another excuse to raise your premium.

Re: Google/Fitbit will monetise health data and harm consumers

#155

Post by RonanTheGrey » Thu, Oct 01, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

alienfilesystem wrote: post #151

RonanTheGrey wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To preface, I agree with your stance. But it leaves me wanting more. I mean -- we know, to be blunt, we know that the vast, vast majority of people will never stand up and agree with you, even if some unidentified part of them wants to. The world is marching in lockstep toward authoritarianism again, and cheering it along the whole way. Where does all this go? What can we do? Disappear into a countryside somewhere an…

I think one of the best voices in this regard is a man named Dave Cullen out of Ireland. His YouTube channel, Computing Forever, has always been spot on in regard to the plandemic and other authoritarian happenings. He has some fascinating guests as well. I've yet to find him wrong. https://www.youtube.com/user/LACK78 I don't know what the answer is as far as getting people to wake up. Most people are utter sheeple w…

Someone didn't like my question heh, just wanted to say thank you for your reply. Will check him out.

Re: Google/Fitbit will monetise health data and harm consumers

#156

Post by Abishek_Muthian » Mon, Oct 05, 2020, 3:42 AM UTC

rmtech wrote: post #144

Abishek_Muthian wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, that's not it for me or many others who face the same issue. As I've mentioned in the blog, I've loosened it to the max with multiple fitbits and I always end up with pain; unless I switch off the heart rate monitor . When the heart rate monitor is switched off, there is no pain/tingling even if I wear it tight and this has been corroborated by many others in fitbit/apple watch forums. But since, most of these…

that is interesting. I also switch from left to right. Maybe that makes a difference? The other thing is that the two explanations are not mutually exclusive. Once you loosen it fully it moves around on your arm, which might move the harmful parts away from whatever is vulnerable. Do we know what exactly causes the tingling? My left hand is still numb almost a week after I was first injured.

Switching hands doesn't make a difference.

Although loosening might help you place heart rate monitor at a different place or avoid direct contact with skin; in my(our) experience switching off HR produced definitive results immediately.

The reason for why HR does this is speculative(I've covered in my blog), as long as the consumers demand strong action from the manufacturers we're not going to find the reason.